As I turned fifteen, a wonderful Kodaly teacher introduced me to the world of inner hearing, or audiation. Just the ability to see music and make sense of it in my mind completely changed the way I thought about music, especially choral music. I found that choral music was so accepting – anyone who can speak can sing. It was also the fact that choral music removed the barrier of an instrument, which allowed me to express myself to the audience more freely. By seeing how the ear training helped me bridge my gap between written and played music, I felt a strong urge to help other people do the same. Thus, I decided that I would train to become a teacher. I am graduating next year, and am excited to start teaching full time. I feel that I have finally found something that I excel in, and I am thrilled to be able to create better learning opportunities for children back at home.
I separate “my music” into two different streams: music that I use or write for my students, and music that I listen to in my spare time.
Music that I use or write for my students can vary hugely, and it depends on the ability and the aims of each student. Lately, I have been teaching a lot of beginner ear training and piano lessons. Additionally, even my piano lessons incorporate ear training methodology. As all major pedagogues say, “Sound before sight!” I mostly write my own materials for students, with a step-by-step approach to musical elements such as rhythm, harmony, and melody. By creating my own teaching materials, I can make sure they suit every student, as opposed to a “one-size-fits-all” textbook.
In my spare time, I enjoy listening to minimalist pieces by composers such as Steve Reich, Steve Roach, Arvo Pärt, BT, or Brian Eno. Because my days at school are already filled with so much classical and popular music, both with prominent melodic lines, I prefer a contrasting style when I am relaxing. The repeating harmonies, melodies and rhythms create a soothing effect, allowing my brain to unwind from the jazz and classical melodies that I am inundated with at school. Minimalist music’s target audience would not be the mainstream, but the devoted fans of music who can appreciate a single unchanging melody line above the subtleties of the changing rhythm or harmony, for example.
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